Plugging in and connecting

This is the chapter people get stuck in, so it is the longest one. Almost every problem here is one of two things: the ignition is not on, or the adapter is not pushed all the way in.

Finding the port

The OBD-II port is a 16-pin trapezoid, and by law it sits within about 18 inches of the steering wheel. Look under the dash on the driver’s side first. If it is not hanging there in the open, try above the pedals, behind a small hinged panel near the fuse box, or under an ashtray lid on older vehicles.

It only goes in one way round. Push until it seats. A partly seated adapter powers up and looks fine, and then never finds the car.

Turn the ignition on

On, not accessory. This matters more than anything else in the chapter.

Accessory power wakes the adapter, so its light comes on and the app finds it over Bluetooth, but the engine computer stays asleep and never answers. That combination produces the single most confusing failure in the app: connected to the adapter, and no vehicle.

In a car with a key, that is the position one click before the starter. In a car with a button, press start without your foot on the brake. The engine does not need to be running.

Scanning for the adapter

Open the app and tap Scan for adapter. Adapters appear as they answer, with four signal bars, a tag reading BLE, and the last four characters of their address as ID followed by four digits. Tap yours.

If more than one adapter is listed, the signal bars are the tiebreaker: yours is the one in the car you are sitting in, so it will be the strongest. The ID is worth remembering if you scan at home and your neighbour also owns one.

The scan does not time out. If the adapter wakes up late, because you turned the ignition on after tapping scan, it appears on its own without you doing anything.

What the connection steps mean

Once you tap an adapter, the app works through six steps and names each one. They are worth reading rather than watching, because where it stops tells you what is wrong.

Connecting to adapter. Opening the Bluetooth link. A failure here is range or power.

Preparing the adapter. Finding the services it offers over Bluetooth.

Waking the adapter. Resetting it, configuring it, and finding which protocol your car speaks. Your car uses one of nine, and the M1 handles all of them, so this step sorts itself out without you choosing anything.

Checking the adapter. Reading back its firmware details.

Talking to your car. Asking the engine computer to answer. This is the step that waits when the ignition is off, and the step that succeeds the moment you turn the key.

Verifying your license. A moment of housekeeping, then you are in.

If any step takes longer than expected the label says so rather than sitting silent. It is still trying.

Adapter connected, waiting for the car

If you see Adapter connected with Waiting for the car, the adapter is awake and the vehicle is not answering. Turn the ignition on. You do not need to tap anything: the app watches the bus and moves on by itself the instant the car starts talking.

Connecting faster next time

Once you have connected to an adapter, the app remembers it. Next time that adapter is in range, the app offers to reconnect on its own and counts down from three before doing it. Cancel stops it, and Choose a different adapter takes you back to the list.

Turn this off in Settings, then Connect automatically, if you would rather pick every time.

If the link drops while you are using it

The app reconnects by itself, backing off a little further between each attempt, and gives up after five tries. The screen says Reconnecting… and Keep the adapter plugged in while it works. Driving out of range of a phone you left in the house is the usual cause.

Disconnecting

Settings, then Disconnect. Or just unplug the adapter, which is what most people do.

Leaving the adapter plugged in draws a small amount of power continuously. On a car you drive regularly that is nothing. On one that sits for weeks, pull it out.

What to do next

You are connected. Chapter four is the Home screen and what it is telling you.